Friday, February 29, 2008

Hooray! Serial Commas for Kids!


I am delighted, thrilled, and proud to share with you the exact contents of a vitally important and courageous e-mail I received yesterday from someone named Bill Gram-Reefer (Bill, if that is your real name, I won't comment further on your appellation without securing legal counsel first).


Anyway, here's the wonderful, excellent, and necessary news I am excited about exclusively passing on to my loyal, deserving, and intelligent readers (yeah, I might've used a semicolon in the headline that follows):



Punctuation Man Breaks with Associated Press, Endorses Serial Comma

In support of the National Education Association's "Read Across America" program on March 3, the nation's leading authority on helping school children, teachers, and parents learn proper punctuation skills declares that the "serial comma" should be taught, used, and accepted universally.

Pinole, CA (PRWEB) February 28, 2008 -- Punctuation Man, a leading authority on punctuation and teaching punctuation to elementary school children, today announced his decision to fully support the use of the serial comma.

Shunned by the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, the serial comma is still widely accepted by educators, grammarians, and literary circles, including Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, and the Chicago Manual of Style. The announcement coincides with the National Education Association's (NEA) "Read Across America" child literacy program, to be held nationwide on Monday, March 3.

There is no small debate about the serial comma (also known as the Oxford Comma). It is a comma used before a coordinating conjunction (such as "and") before the last item in a series of three or more. For example: The flag is red, white, and blue.

Enter Jeff Rubin -- aka Punctuation Man -- a former newspaper reporter turned newsletter publisher, public speaker, and founder of National Punctuation Day, which will celebrate its fifth anniversary on September 24. Jeff and his wife, Norma, travel the nation to teach children the basics of punctuation with Punctuation Playtime, a live assembly program that is also offered to teachers, schools, and school districts as an instructional DVD.

"I am inundated with questions from people across the United States about punctuation, and many involve the serial comma," says Rubin. "Speaking as Punctuation Man, I hope to resolve one of punctuation's nagging issues and provide clarity. I recommend the use of the serial comma because it helps make clear the meaning of a sentence."

For example, according to AP style, how many horses in the following sentence were in the race -- three or four?

"The horses thundered toward the finish: black and gold, red and white, blue and teal and yellow."

When punctuated using a serial comma, the meaning is clear. Four horses raced neck and neck: black and gold, red and white, blue and teal, and yellow.

Here's another example from a book dedication: "To my parents, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II."

"Punctuation counts," says Rubin. "A misplaced comma can alter the meaning of a sentence.

"Style should never get in the way of clear communication. The proper use of the serial comma should be taught, used, and accepted universally."

About Punctuation Playtime:
While performing Punctuation Playtime, based in Pinole, CA, Jeff Rubin and Norma Martinez-Rubin have energized thousands of children on a subject routinely regarded as boring and duller than dirt. Jeff, a veteran newspaper reporter and newsletter publisher, founded National Punctuation Day (September 24) in 2004 to draw attention to the importance of proper punctuation. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and speaks frequently on writing, marketing, and integrity for small-business owners.

For more information about Punctuation Playtime, visit http://www.punctuationplaytime.com. For more information about how your school or company can participate in National Punctuation Day, please visit http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com.

DEMO VIDEO
http://www.PunctuationPlaytime.com

EDITOR CONTACT
Jeff Rubin
Punctuation Playtime
877-588-1212
jeff @ PunctuationPlaytime.com

Bill Gram-Reefer
WORLDVIEW
925-459-8537
reefer @ worldviewpr.com

###


Thanks, guys. Love it!

Pawlie Kokonuts

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello Pawlie,

Had you used a semicolon in the headline you would have been wrong. A semicolon separates two independent clauses; "Endorses Serial Comma" is not an independent clause. A comma is the correct punctuation mark.

Pawlie Kokonuts said...

Jeff (PM),
I'm willing to concede your point, but I suggest you not dogmatically declare my interpretation wrong. (Note I said "might" in my post.) It's a matter of two perspectives regarding the grammatical structure of the headline's incomplete sentence, owing to the necessary shorthand style of headlines. Your interpretation treats "breaks" and "endorses" as compound verbs of the same subject. Thus, "Punctuation Man breaks with AP and endorses serial comma" would most certainly not require even a comma in that construction, but the headline needs the comma. My interpretation assumes this implied independent- clause construction: "PM breaks with AP; [he] endorses serial comma." I was a copy editor years ago, so I will leave it up to Mark Murphy and others of his esteemed profession to weigh in on current headline style.
PK

Patti said...

Pawlie,
What's all this talk about colons? I'd consult my grammar, but she's gone.



OK, sorry, Saturday morning and I'm not awake, alert, or able to think of anything funny.

As always, I've learned something today by reading your blog.

Patti said...

P.S. Re-reading the title of your previous post...it kinda sounds as if you are remembering Buckley, and also yourself.

Is that a grammatically correct title?

Reminder: I'm easily confused these days.

Christy said...

Oh dear Lord. I am all for proper grammar and children being educated well. However, this is just crazy talk and only exemplifies the fact that being a strict "punctuation man" does NOT make you an eloquent speaker.

Maria said...

WOW!

I just was time warped back to the seventh grade and the beloved yet feared Sr. Dominic! Thanks...

As always... I am humbled.

All the best,
M

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